Is a private or public Instagram account better for business?

It’s no secret that businesses would be slightly foolish not to take advantage of social media platforms such as Instagram in order to maximise the effectiveness of their marketing strategies, right? After all, a successful Instagram page enables a business to effectively promote their products and services to a huge amount of potential customers in a way that is current, hugely accessible and free. You could say your business’ social media pages are pretty much your modern day business cards for the tech-savvy generation!

Although once upon a time it was platforms like Facebook that were predominantly used by businesses for marketing purposes, the recent proliferation of Instagram’s popularity means that business owners have quickly adapted their marketing strategy in order to suit the trend in consumer behaviour. So if the aim of having an Instagram page for a business is to reach an abundance of potential consumers by promoting their products and services online, why are we still seeing plenty of businesses with private pages on Instagram? (Gasps) We know! A business having a private page on Instagram means that their posts won’t be found on the explore page and also means that potential customers won’t be able to see their content without requesting to follow them. So why would any business owner decide to limit their potential reach and hinder their engagement by having a private page? Surely that doesn’t make sense… Or does it?

It could be argued that if a page was public, you’d be more likely to search for the business, have a quick scroll down their page, maybe give their posts a few likes, but then never engage with them again. Because there’s no need to follow them if you can see their posts anyway, right? However, if a page was private and you were keen to see their posts, you’d be more likely to request to follow them, which would consequently lead to you seeing and engaging with plenty more of their posts in the future. Makes a bit more sense, right?

But with that being said, the concept of a business having a private Instagram account can be likened to that same business having a shop filled with their products and services, and having a bouncer standing at the door, stopping potential customers coming in without permission. Why would you do it, right? Why limit the recognition and awareness of the business? Why hinder the business’ engagements and interactions with potential customers? Why limit the reach of their products and services? Why hinder the business’ marketing, full stop?

Getting your business a loyal following on social media can be a long process, but there’s no need to make it harder than it already is. Make your business’ profile public and encourage engagement with followers and non-followers alike, instead of being private and discouraging potential customers to see and engage with your posts.